Steve Diamond—Alumnus, 1971
“My advice to young artists is that to be an artist, you have to
figure out how to live the life you want to live. In most cases,
that means managing a job and an art career.”
The “Inside” Story
I began drawing at an early age. I was always interested in art. My parents saw this interest and fed it with classes at the local museum when I was about seven. They made sure I had any supplies I needed to make work and were always supportive of my efforts. I began painting in oil at 12. Throughout my childhood, I had a goal of becoming a doctor and in college completed my coursework for a degree in Zoology. It was also in college where I took every elective I could in art. I was lucky enough to study with a great professor, who, for the first time, really helped me understand art in a different way. After two years of studying with him, I moved to New York in 1978 to pursue art full time. I am still not sure that what I have to say is unique —it is just that the process of making work is so damn satisfying. I then completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in Fine Art, in painting and sculpture. While making art, I took a job in 1982 as an assistant to a photo editor and really came to enjoy that work as well. I continued balancing both my art and my new career. I continued exhibiting and selling work and then started my own company to provide photo research and creative direction. During this time, for a variety of reasons, I began to have less and less time to make art. I guess I am most proud of the fact that I was able to find a career that allows me to use some of my aesthetic sensibility. My biggest regret is that I didn’t understand earlier on that an artist has to make a living as well as making art. My advice to young artists is that to be an artist, you have to figure out how to live the life you want to live. In most cases that means managing a job and an art career.
Current Status
Now that my children have reached a certain age, I have found that I am able to get back to work with an intensity I have not known for many years—and it feels great. I have been working at Scholastic Inc. for the last six years as Executive Director of Photography. One of the high points of each year has been the opportunity to jury The Scholastic Art Awards. I feel that in some way it has stimulated and excited me to the point that I had to start making work again.
“My advice to young artists is that to be an artist, you have to
figure out how to live the life you want to live. In most cases,
that means managing a job and an art career.”
The “Inside” Story
I began drawing at an early age. I was always interested in art. My parents saw this interest and fed it with classes at the local museum when I was about seven. They made sure I had any supplies I needed to make work and were always supportive of my efforts. I began painting in oil at 12. Throughout my childhood, I had a goal of becoming a doctor and in college completed my coursework for a degree in Zoology. It was also in college where I took every elective I could in art. I was lucky enough to study with a great professor, who, for the first time, really helped me understand art in a different way. After two years of studying with him, I moved to New York in 1978 to pursue art full time. I am still not sure that what I have to say is unique —it is just that the process of making work is so damn satisfying. I then completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in Fine Art, in painting and sculpture. While making art, I took a job in 1982 as an assistant to a photo editor and really came to enjoy that work as well. I continued balancing both my art and my new career. I continued exhibiting and selling work and then started my own company to provide photo research and creative direction. During this time, for a variety of reasons, I began to have less and less time to make art. I guess I am most proud of the fact that I was able to find a career that allows me to use some of my aesthetic sensibility. My biggest regret is that I didn’t understand earlier on that an artist has to make a living as well as making art. My advice to young artists is that to be an artist, you have to figure out how to live the life you want to live. In most cases that means managing a job and an art career.
Current Status
Now that my children have reached a certain age, I have found that I am able to get back to work with an intensity I have not known for many years—and it feels great. I have been working at Scholastic Inc. for the last six years as Executive Director of Photography. One of the high points of each year has been the opportunity to jury The Scholastic Art Awards. I feel that in some way it has stimulated and excited me to the point that I had to start making work again.
Steve is currently a member of the Gold Key Society of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writer and has served as a Juror for The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Exhibitions
I have not been showing regularly for a number of years, but I was included last year in a show from The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture celebrating 40 years and 40 artists at Pierogi Gallery in Brooklyn.
- The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 1971
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